1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a collapsible stool and, more particularly, to a highly simplified, unitary chair structure which may be collapsed for transportation and storage and which may be assembled to provide a rigid seating surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
There are a variety of circumstances where it is desirable to provide a seating surface which is collapsible. For example, it is desirable that a seating surface be collapsible so that it may be stored in as small a space as possible when not in use. In addition, where the seating surface is to be portable, being collapsible will normally facilitate transportation to the site of use.
With the above and other advantages of a collapsible seating surface in mind, numerous attempts have been made to provide such a structure for a wide variety of purposes. Examples of collapsible stools, chairs, tables, and the like, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. NOs. 2,257,103; 2,681,841; 2,740,681 3,249,383, and 3,884,159.
As can be seen from an inspection of such patents, it is common to provide a work or seating surface by securing a plurality of elongate, rigid slats in side-by-side relationship to one or more flexible sheets so that the slats and the sheet may be rolled or folded up for transportation and storage. An additional mechanism is then required to maintain the slats in a coplanar array with the side edges of each slat contacting the respective side edges of adjacent slats so that the slats and the flexible sheet provide a rigid work or seating surface. In the case of a seating surface, it is also required to provide a plurality of legs to support the seating surface at a spaced distance from a support surface.
Heretofore, such additional mechanisms for maintaining the slats in a coplanar array and for providing a plurality of legs have been relatively complex, requiring multiple parts which must be separated from the slats and which can be lost or misplaced. Other disadvantages of prior collapsible structures will be evident from an inspection of the above patents.